Self-aligning drive shaft



Aug. 11, 1936. A. D. MccoLLUM SELF ALIG'NING DRVE SHAFT 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled Dec.

.uw 'r'roRNEy INVENTOR ADMfCo/(a/n m n wg Aug- 1 l, 1936- Y A. D.MccoLLUM SELF ALIGNING DRIVE SHAFT 2 sheets-shea 2 Filed Deo. 15,l 1954INVENTOR Patented Aug. 11, 1936 UNirrEo STATES Y 2,050,497 sELF-ALIGNINGDRIVE SHAFT v Alvie D. McCollum, Stockton, Calif., assignor of one-halfto Jack C. Sanford', Stockton, Calif.

Application December 15, 1934, SerialNo. 757,700 s claims.Y l(o1.744-335) This invention relates to self aligningor fiexible drive shaftsof this type used in transmitting power between parts on two yrelativelymovable objects.v I have particularly in mind the control of the workingparts of a scraperor other implement from the power plant of thetractorhauling the implement, though the use of my improved driveshaft is by nomeans limited to such service.

The power control of scraper operations for instance has. previouslybeen eiected either by a cable `and drum arrangement, the drum beingmounted on and driven by the engine of the tractor; or by hydraulicmeans, the pressure necessary to 'operate which hasA been generated "byl5"v said engine. The hydraulic means, while very flexible, has notproved satisfactory on account of the difficulty of maintainingpressure-tight fittings under conditions where the abrasive action ofdirt and dust must be contended with,

and suchv apparatus is also quite expensive.

Cables have a tendency to become tangled up if excessively slack andunless two drums are used theyl can only operate to impart power in onedirecti-on. Also they usually Wear very quickly andmust be frequentlyreplaced.

Ther principal objects of my invention are to avoid the objectionablefeatures of the present control mechanisms o-f this type by providing afiexible- 'self-aligning drive shaft structure soconstructed that it canbe reversed to transmit power in either direction; it will functioneffectively irrespective of the relative. position of angularity of theopposite ends of the shaft structure whether in horizontal or verticalplanes; which will automatically extend or contract as the relativemovement of the tractor and implement or other parts demand; and whichwill give eflicient serviceindenitely without excessivev wear Vorreplacement of parts being necessary. lo These objects'I accomplish bymeans of such structure and relative'arrangement of parts as will' fullyappear by a perusal' of they following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of refer- 4'5 Aence indicatecorresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved drive shaft.

Figure 2r. is an enlarged sectional plan of the A drive end unit of thestructure.

IFigure 3 is a sectional elevation of the same on the line 3-3 of Figure2.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of a telescopic shaft arrangementconnecting the drive and driven unitsof the structure.

Referring now moreparticularly to the characters of vreference on thedrawings, the shaft comprises a pairl'of unitsAand Btheunit A beingdisposedon the tract-or, and the vunit B on an .implement orY `the like.Each unit includes 5 like lgear housings I. 2 and. 3 which are separatefrom each other, and since the housings ofthe unit .Acontain la gearingarrangement identical with those of the vunit Bit will be suicient onlyto describe the arrangement of one such unit. l@

Extending through and journaled in the housings l and 2 and connectingthe same in swivel relation isa shaft 4, .normally disposed in avertical plane. A bevel pinion 5 is secured to saidy shaft in thehousing I andmeshes with another l5v bevel pinion 6 inthe housing whichisxed on a shaft] disposed at right angles tothe shaft 4. The shafts?vof the two units A and B are axially alignedwithand project towardeachother, and are telescopically connected in'l non-turning re- 2@lation in.any'suitalzale manner,.which for large orheavylinstallationsis preferably arranged as. hereinafter described. L

nA bevel piniony 8 is mounted ontheslflaftlv within .the housing 2,whichineshes withanother' 25 bevel pinion Sin .said housing. The pinion9 is fixed on v-astub shaft IIJ which swivelly connects the housings l..and 3 and which is disposedfat right angles to the Shaft. `il.V

Another bevel pinion .l lk issecured on the'shaft 3@ III within the.housing 3, which meshes with another bevel pinion I2 Vin said housing.The pinion. I2l isiixed on a shaft I3v journaled .in the housing, 3 atright angles to thefshaft I0, AIn the .unit A said shaft I3 projectsinto a non-mov- 35 able housing M and forms the swivel connectionbetweensaid housings; andin the unit B the correspondingshaft I3.projects into a non-movable housing Illa and similarly forms the-swivelconnectionbetween the housings. In both cases the 4o shaft .13? carriesa bevel pinion I5 disposed withinthe fixed housing which meshes with abevel pinion IG in said housing. In the housing lI 4 said pinion is xedon a stub shaft I1 journaled in said housing and disposed in a plane atright ani5 gles to the shaft I3 but parallel to theplane of the shaftI0. In the housing Illa the corresponding pinion I6 is secured to asimilarly disposed shaft IIa in the housing Ilia which projects from theend of said housing furthest from 5o the unit A and is adapted forconnection to the mechanism to be controlled or driven, and formsv thefinal vdriven end of my self-aligning shaft structure.

The shaft Il'however is merely a counter- 55 shaft and besides the bevelpinion I6 has a spur gear I8 fixed thereon. This gear meshes with apinion I9 fixed on a shaft 20 both slidably and turnably mounted in thehousing I4 parallel to the shaft I'I.

Turnably mounted on said shaft and journaled in the housing againstaxial movement is a spur pinion 2| having a cone clutch element 22 fixedthereon and disposed outside the housing. This pinion meshes with a gear23 xed onthe initial drive sh-aft 24 of the structure which is journaledin the housing and projects from the end of the same furthest from theunit B for connection to an engine shaft, said shaft 24 being parallelto the shaft 20. Y

Also turnably mounted on the shaft 20 and journaled in the housing I4against axial movement with the shaft is a spur gear 25 having a clutchelement 22ar rigid therewith outside the housing. This gear meshes witha pinion 26 turnable on the shaft 24. The pinion is constantly driven bysaid shaft 24 but in the opposite direction by means of an idler bevelpinion 2l turnably mounted in the housing I4 between the pinion` 26 andgear 23 and engaging bevel pinions 28 fixed therewith. It will thereforebe seen that the gear` 25 constantly turns in one direction while thepinion 2I constantly turns in the opposite direction; the relative speedof rotation (which may be altered to suit different conditions)depending on the relative size of the meshing pairs of gears andpinions.

Secured on the ends of the shaft 20 beyond the clutch elements 22 and22a. are clutch elements 29 to cooperate therewith. One of said elementsis provided with a shift-fork yoke 30 of conventional character, bymeans of which said shaft may be slid in one direction or the other byany suitable control means which it is not deemed necessary to show.vThe elements 29 are of course arranged so that only one at a time willbe engaged with the corresponding clutch element so that the shaft 2Umay be selectively placed in driving relation with the shaft 24 t0rotate in either direction. It will thus be seen that the direction ofrotation of the shaft 20 and consequently the shaft sections 'I and theultimate driven shaft member I'Ia, may be selectively controlled. Itwill also be seen that the box 3 and all parts connected thereto mayturn on the shaft I3 as an axis. Similarly the boxes 2 and I mayindependently turn on the shaft IU as an axis while the box I may turnrelative to the box 2 about the shaft 4 as an axis; these threedirections ofV turning being in different planes.

This turning movement holds true of both sets.

of gear boxes at both ends of the drive shaft structure so that apractically unlimitedA universal action between both ends of thestructure is assured without any binding action being had regardless ofthe angularity of the parts and without interfering in any way with theefficiency of the drive.

It may here be noted that while I have shown plain bearings on thedrawings for the various shafts, roller or any other type of bearing maybe used where the same may be advantageousto promote efficient and longwearing operation.

If a dual unit is desired, it is obvious that the one engine-connectedshaft 24 may be used; the duplicate gearing necesary to provide a dualunit branching off from said shaft in opposed relation to the gearing ofthe single unit.

The telescoping shaft feature of course provides an additional relativemovement between the end units of the structure and is necessary whenthe shaft ends are mounted on separate relatively movable objects, suchas a tractor and a drawn implement, in which case the length between thexed ends of the drive structure alter when the tractor and implement arerounding a turn.

'I'he special telescopic arrangement of the two shaft sections I, asshown in Figure 4, comprises a relatively long sleeve 3I secured to theouter end of one section 'I and enveloping the adjacent portion of theother section in clearance relation thereto. A plurality of radiallyarranged rollers 32 are mounted on the inner end of the envelopedsection, which engage the bore v of the sleeve, while similar rollers 33are mounted on the outer end of the sleeve to engage the periphery ofthe adjacent shaft section 'I. Secured in and extending along the sleevebetween the rollers 32 are ribs 34 which cooperate with the rollers 32or their bearings to prevent relative rotation between the sleeve andthe inner shaft section 1. In this manner said inner shaft section hasfree movement along the sleeve but the two must turn together. 'I'hisarrangement is to be preferred to the ordinary spline shaft structurefor installations subject to contact with dirt etc. which has a severeabrasive action on ordinary close fitting splines, and tends to causebinding and rapid wear of the same.

It will be noted that all the gears are enclosed, so that they mayeasily be kept well lubricated, and a very safe unit is provided, withno likelihood of danger to the operator, as is the case when cables snapor air lines break.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A universal joint unit comprising a relatively fixed drive shaft, asecond shaft disposed at right angles to the drive shaft, a support forsaid second shaft turnable on the drive shaft as an axis, gearingconnections between said shafts, a third shaft disposed at right anglesto the second shaft, a housing supporting said third shaft at spacedpoints in its length, turnably mounted on the second shaft, gearingconnections between the second and third shafts disposed Within thehousing, a second housing turnably mounted on the third shaft beyond thefirst named housing, a fourth shaft journaled in and projecting from thesecond housing at right angles to the third shaft, and gearingconnections between the third and fourth shafts disposed within saidsecond housing.

2. A structure as in claim 1, with brace arms in which the opposite endsof the third shaft are turnable, and means turnably mounting the arms asa unit in axial alignment with the second shaft on that side of thedrive shaft which is opposite said second shaft.

' 3. A universal joint unit comprising a relatively fixed drive shaft, aturnable housing into which said shaft turnably projects, a second shaftjournaled in and projecting from one side of the housing radially of thedrive shaft, gearing connections between said shafts Within the housing,a second housing turnably supported for rotation about the second shaftas an axis and into Which the latter projects, a third shaft turnablysupported in said second housing and disposed at an angle to the secondshaft, connections between said second and third shafts Within thesecond housing, brace arms rigid at one end with the second housing` onopposite sides thereof and extending on opposite sides of the firsthousing, and means turnably mounting the arms as a unit in axialalignment with the second shaft on that side of the first housingopposite said second shaft. v

ALVIE D. MCCOLLUM.

